NEW YORK CITY AUDUBON HARBOR HERONS PROJECT 2007 Nesting Survey 1 2 NEW YORK CITY AUDUBON HARBOR HERONS PROJECT 2007 NESTING SURVEY November 21, 2007 Prepared for: New York City Audubon Glenn Phillips, Executive Director 71 W. 23rd Street, Room 1529 New York, NY 10010 212-691-7483 www.nycaudubon.org Prepared by: Andrew J. Bernick, Ph. D. 2856 Fairhaven Avenue Alexandria, VA 22303-2209 Tel. 703-960-4616
[email protected] With additional data provided by: Dr. Susan Elbin and Elizabeth Craig, Wildlife Trust Dr. George Frame, National Park Service David S. Künstler, New York City Department of Parks & Recreation Don Riepe, American Littoral Society/Jamaica Bay Guardian Funded by: New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s Hudson River Estuary Habitat Grant and ConocoPhillips-Bayway Refinery 3 ABSTRACT . 5 CONTENTS INTRODUCTION . 7 METHODS . 8 TRANSPORTATION AND PERMITS . 9 RESULTS . 10 ISLAND ACCOUNTS . 12 Long Island Sound–Pelham/New Rochelle. 12 Huckleberry Island. 12 East River, Hutchinson River, and 2007 Long Island Sound ............................ .13 Nesting Survey Goose Island. .13 East River ......................................14 North Brother Island. 14 South Brother Island. .15 Mill Rock. 16 U Thant. .17 Staten Island – Arthur Kill and Kill Van Kull . .17 Prall’s Island. 17 Shooter’s Island . 19 Isle of Meadows . 19 Hoffman Island . 20 Swinburne Island . .21 Jamaica Bay ................................... .22 Carnarsie Pol . 22 Ruffle Bar. 23 White Island . .23 Subway Island . .24 Little Egg Marsh . .24 Elders Point Marsh–West. .25 Elders Point Marsh – East . 25 MAINLAND ACCOUNTS . 26 SPECIES ACCOUNTS . 27 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS . 29 Acknowledgements . .33 Literature Cited . 34 TABLES . 35 APPENDIX .